NIT Warangal team examines rural road performance with geotextiles

Geotextile DPRs are meticulously examined and designed, with engineers in the field being encouraged to implement this technology.

Warangal: The National Institute of Technology, Warangal, (NITW) has played a pivotal role in overseeing the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) program since its inception, serving as the State Technical Agency (STA) and Principal Technical Agency (PTA). In its ongoing commitment to the program, NIT Warangal is taking a proactive role in advancing rural road infrastructure by scrutinizing Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) for rural roads submitted by the Panchayat Raj departments of various states.

Under this initiative, geotextile DPRs are meticulously examined and designed, with engineers in the field being encouraged to implement this technology. The aim is to instill confidence in the adoption of cost-effective geotextile technologies for the enhancement of rural roads.

---

As part of this mission, the NITW has secured a research project focusing on monitoring the performance of roads constructed with geotextiles and geosynthetics in the states of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. This research endeavour, funded by the National Rural Infrastructure Development Agency under the Ministry of Rural Development, is valued at Rs 15 lakhs.

The research project is led by a team of distinguished investigators, including Prof. S. Shankar, Prof. Venkaiah Chowdary, Prof. Vishnu R, and Prof. CSRK Prasad. Their work involves the evaluation of approximately ten roads constructed with geotextile and geosynthetic materials, with assessments conducted before and after the monsoon season. Notably, the data collected and field observations indicate that roads constructed with geotextiles or geosynthetics in areas with black cotton soil, featuring a shoulder width of 1.0m to 1.5m, are performing well even after enduring four monsoon seasons. The research project is ongoing to further document and understand their long-term performance.